On Cosy Sci-fi and Walking
I recently started reading Becky Chambers, one of the leading voices of cozy sci-fi. As she neatly sums it up:
Cozy science fiction can be very simply summed up as stories that tell you that the future can be good.
Although I love dystopias, I believe cozy SF has an essential place. Endless pessimism simply isn't healthy.
More recently, I read Way Station by Clifford #Simak. Amazing novel! Even though it was written decades ago, it captures the core elements of cozy SF: optimism, quietness, slowness, a sense of wonder, and meaningful connections.
One detail in particular caught my attention: Enoch Wallace, the protagonist, takes daily walks. Walking is a key part of his routine, and lately, it has become part of mine too.
Motion is lotion
Three months ago, I started walking just 30 minutes a day to move a bit more. Since then, I’ve gradually increased the distance to 15,000–20,000 steps a day, split into two sessions. It has done me a world of good and made my daily life feel noticeably cosier. In many ways, walking is typically “cosy”. It slows down time and creates space for mind wandering, it lessens anxiety, boost mood for the whole day once you walk enough, and bring a thousand other benefits.
If you decide to pick up the habit, start small. Don't overdo it at first, and gradually increase. Overtraining is a real thing.
To bring things full circle: if you want to delve into cozy SF yourself, I highly recommend Becky Chambers' Monk & Robot novellas duology. Here's the Wiki page dedicated to the first of them.
Image: Julia Royer (copyright 2026)